Sherry Andrens Owen

Biography from her website: I grew up in Laurel Canyon in Southern California and have always been interested in art. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University in Northridge in the early 70's. I then continued my art education for several more years at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where I was first introduced to watercolour. We got to spend much of our time away from school, painting outdoors on location around the city. Our final project would be a wild and creative weekend camping and painting the landscape in Morro Bay in Northern California. This sounded wonderful to me, and it was actually on this course that I discovered and fell in love with this special medium. I think it's the spontaneity and the magic of the watercolour that I responded to the most. It has a mind of its own, and that is what I love about it. I just never know what's going to happen when I put paint to paper. My paintings are all about colour, and light and texture. They are abstract and 3-dimensional. I only use the highest quality artist materials, archival glue and mould-made watercolour paper for my paintings. To create this effect, I apply the watercolour and then attach the beautiful handmade, oriental rice papers and natural fibers that I have collected for many years from around the world. I enjoy transforming various landscapes into abstract interpretations of Nature, both above and below the sea. I also use iridescent oil pastels to add that extra accent of colour. Generally, I don't like to title my paintings, as this then allows the viewer to interpret my work using their own imagination. From 1979 to 1994, I participated in the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, California. I made many contacts there and sold paintings worldwide. I also continued to participate in many juried shows and exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S. In 1994, I moved with my husband and young son to Laugharne (pronounced larne!) in Southwest Wales, in the UK. Being surrounded by cows, sheep and vast green fields and farmland was quite a change for this city girl. It was incredibly stimulating, as I saw colours, especially greens, that I'd never seen before. Actually, I still do. My palette has been enhanced and inspired by my new surroundings, a perfect combination of city and country colours. I have also returned to doing pastel landscapes again of my local area, to compliment my abstracts. I am enjoying this very much, too. My watercolour collages are contemporary and one of a kind. They usually become the focal point of the room. They are very popular with interior decorators and designers Worldwide.